Tour de Lance
It is done...numero sept has been taken by the Amazing Lance! What a day! We watched the final laps along the Champs Elysees and then headed up to the podium to watched the awards ceremony. It was unbelievable...we were all of 50 yards away, watching Lance, Vasso and Ullrich take the stand, hearing Lance's speech (well, bits of it over the cheering crowd), taking it all in...it was cool. Yesterday's time trial in St. Etienne was also fantastic - we were right at the 1km mark, watching the cyclists as they passed. What's great about the time trial is that they go past one at a time, so you can really see them, versus the other stages, when the peleton goes whizzing by. Either way is great, but the time trial gives you a better opportunity to really observe each rider. The most entertaining is Fassa Bortolo riders who have their trainer driving 6 inches behind them in a team car, yelling encouragements (I am guessing) in a loud speaker. I am rambling..so onto other news.
Things of note (I am too exhausted to elaborate)
1. We saw Lance and Sheryl tonight from the balcony of their hotel (notably finer than ours ;-)..the press parked outside gave away the location
2. My favorite meal so far was in Lyon - Tuna tartar with sesame seeds and wasabi
3. We were passed on the highway last night while doing 160...which was much slower than most people...craziness
4. Driving in the city of Paris is a frightening nightmare (I realize the redundancy of using both "frightening" and "nightmare", but I am making an important point). Makes Montreal seem extremely safe. I may or may not be exaggerating when I say I soiled myself.
5. Our shower/tub in the hotel does not have a shower curtain!! WTF! I have managed to completely soak the floors with my bull-in-a-China-shop approach to showering. My Cirque du Soliel-like contortions when shaving leave little water inside the shower, and much flung about the rest of the room. Heaven help the folks below us, I am sure they're getting wet.
6. Capris are in France too...it's an international crisis of pandemic proportions...
posted by The Devine Mrs. B @ 10:43 PM
6 Comments:
hello far off second cousin! I am having a great time reading your rants! We're loving them and I am getting edu-ma-cated on European slang as well. I was looking for you on the telly with the TdF that Fleming was watching to see if I could see you. Alas.... have a great time. Keep posting!!
Melanie
I have a couple of comments also. Driving in Europe while very different that in north America (8 lane traffic circle with no lane markers)is rather fun. The ability to be able to drive 170km/h and still be past by a sports car like you are driving a go cart is interesting (speed limits are 130 here). I did't feel to bad about speeding since about 25 motorcycle police from the tour went by at least 50km/h faster than me.
Watching the tour live is inspiring. For those who have biked with me they know I hate going up hills. Having seen these guys go at the speeds they do up Cat 2 hills (11km at 5.6% grade) I will never complain again.
I was thinking of you when I watched the time trials and the final stage - thought I saw this goof-ball waving a Cdn flag... but then I realized you probably didn't pack a flag. But I did keep the tape so you can check it out to make sure ;-)
Actually we did get a CDN flag for free from our MP. We had it out at stage 21 but not at the final. There was however a Canadian contingency across from us with flags out. We tried to signal them by yelling out Eh but they were unable to hear.
hi, so happy to hear about all the fun you are having. We miss you.Hope Kelly is rested and ready for the next leg of your trip. Keep well see you soon. Love and kisses mom B.
good morning kelly and andrew its 10;45 wed; in antigonish just got caught up on your amazing trip. we so enjoy your blog but better yet was your call last night. looking forward to seeing your pictures. dad just came back from the work sight with a hurried expression on his face and flew up the stairs;you can guess the rest.nicole and i are going to new glasgow shopping later on today, fred is shifting bones at work. nicole just told dad she does not pay for poop breaks. he laughed/ i may stay here until the week-end. weather for the rest of the week should be sunny. enjoy the rest of your trip and stay safe. call us here when back on CANADIAN soil. love yoy both very much. come home again to N.S.soon and lets have another VASE party, love mum.
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